This invention relates to a method and apparatus for protecting the end of a pipe.
When water pipes are installed in buildings the pipes often extend along a wall (upwards, downward, or sideways) and then bend and extend horizontally toward the inside of a room, away from the wall. Various connectors fasten to the ends of these pipes in order to hook up sinks, bathtubs, toilets, and other plumbing fixtures. Similar constructions occur with gas lines, electrical lines and tubes carrying other items.
In order to hold these various tubes at predetermined locations relative to structural supports, plumbing straps are used. These straps are typically elongated strips of metal that have large holes in them to accommodate plumbing pipes, with smaller holes to accommodate nails or screws to fasten the straps to building studs.
The ends of the pipes extend beyond the straps, into the room in which the plumbing fixtures are located, such as sinks, bathtubs etc. The distal ends of these pipes can be damaged, accidentally or intentionally. For example, when placing drywall over the pipes, the end of the pipes may be forced into the drywall in order to mark the pipe location on the drywall so that holes can be cut for the pipes. The damage to the pipes impairs the later use of the pipes. There is thus a need for a protector to be used.
During construction, dirt, debris, and airborne particles can enter the distal, open end of the pipes. These unwanted particles usually enter accidentally, but sometimes children or mischievous persons place the particles in the open ends of the pipes. These unwanted particles or liquids also hinder later use of the pipes. Further, unwanted particles sometimes pass beyond the bend in the pipes and fall down into the pipe where removal is difficult or impossible. If not removed before the plumbing fixtures are connected, the particles may damage or impede the function and performance of any plumbing fixtures connected to the pipes through which the residual particles and damage valve seats in plumbing fixtures. There is thus a need for a suitable protector.
Finally, during construction it is common to pressure test the pipes before the construction is accepted by the customer. This pressure testing can be done by installing the plumbing fixtures on the distal ends of the pipes and flowing pressurized water through the system. But if there is a leak it is sometimes necessary to remove the plumbing fixtures to get access to the pipes, and that is cumbersome, time consuming and expensive. There is thus a need to test such pipes before the plumbing fixtures are attached.
The plumbing straps are typically thin so they can fit between a stud and the adjacent wall covering, such as drywall. That results in a plumbing pipe being supported by a thin metal strip that can abrade the pipe and that can produce an undesirably concentrated area of loading when counteracting any lateral force applied on the pipe. These effects can be exacerbated because the holes for the pipes are typically punched out, which can leave a sharp edge on the hole. Additionally, some pipes are soldered or glued to the strap, and the thin strip of metal provides a narrow area of support for the solder or adhesive. Further, it is usually desirable to retain the pipe in a perpendicular relationship to the strap while it is being bonded or soldered in place, and the installer may rely on the strap to retain the pipe. A thin strap, with a simple round opening having suitable clearances for tolerances and adhesive or solder, may not adequately and steadily support the pipe in this perpendicular relationship, thereby resulting in inconvenience to the installer or resulting in compromised results. Similar problems occur if the tubes are something other than plumbing pipes.
There is thus a need for an improved support for tubes that provides an increased area for supporting a tube held by the support, and for providing an increased area for bonding to the tube carried by the support. There is a filter need for providing such an improved support at a low cost.
An improved plumbing strap is described first, followed by an improved pipe protector that cooperates with the improved strap, or that cooperates with other straps.
Holes are formed in an elongated strap. The holes have an undulating edge around the periphery of the hole which causes the edge to extend on both sides of a plane containing the strap. The undulations are achieved by forming a plurality of bends that extend outward, preferably radially outward, from the periphery of the hole
In particular, a support is provided for tubular members where the support has at least one opening sized to receive and support the tubular member. The opening has a periphery forming an edge to support the tubular member. The support has an undulation on the edge of the opening causing the edge to extend on opposing sides of the support. Advantageously the support comprises an elongated, flat strap having a plurality of openings with the defined undulating edges. The support preferably comprises one of a T-shaped support, an L-shaped support, an elongated strap, and a strap long enough to extend between adjacent studs of a house.
Advantageously the support has a plurality of holes sized to receive a fastener to fasten the support to a structural support. Preferably, the undulations are formed by a plurality of flutes having an apex outward of the periphery of the opening and an enlarged base forming a portion of the opening. Ideally, the undulations are formed by predominantly curved segments to reduce stress concentrations in the support, but the undulations could be formed by triangular shaped flutes having an apex outward of the periphery of the opening with an enlarged end forming a portion of the opening. Preferably, the undulations are formed by at least six flutes each having an apex outward of the periphery and a base forming part of the periphery, the bases of the flutes having distal ends that abut each other.
There is also preferably provided a plumbing strap having a strip of material with a flat portion in which is placed at least one fluted opening having a periphery that undulates onto opposing sides of the flat portion, with at least four undulations. The fluted openings are advantageously formed by flutes having a triangular shape when viewed along an axis orthogonal to the strap. More preferably, there are an even number of flutes with adjacent flutes extending on opposing sides of the strap. Additionally, the flutes preferably have a longitudinal axis that is not perpendicular to an edge of the strap.
The present invention includes not only the strap but the strap used in connection with tubing or pipes. Thus, the above embodiments are used with plumbing pipes, electrical conduit, or other elongated tubular members extending through the opening. Advantageously, there is a soldered connection between the pipe and undulating periphery of the strap or support. Further, at least one end, and preferably both ends of the support or strap are fastened to a building support, such as a stud.
The present invention also provides a plumbing strap for supporting a pipe, where the strap has a peripheral edge defining an opening in the strap with the opening configured to support the pipe extending through the opening during use of the strap. The opening has a first diameter, comprising: a circumference of the opening, which circumference is less than a length of the peripheral edge of the support defining the opening. The peripheral edge is preferably formed by an undulating edge, and ideally the undulating edge extends on opposing sides of the strap.
The undulations strengthen the periphery of the opening. There is thus advantageously provided undulating means cooperating with the periphery for increasing the stiffness of the support at the opening and increasing the length of the peripheral edge contacting the tubing.
The present invention also includes the method of supporting a pipe or tubular member using the features of the apparatus of this invention. There is thus provided a method of holding a pipe, comprising several non-sequential steps. The steps are non-sequential because the order can be changed. The steps include fastening at least one end of a support to a building structure, and placing the pipe through an opening in the support, with the opening having an undulating peripheral edge defining the opening. These steps can be further varied by soldering the pipe to the periphery, with the periphery extending on opposing sides of the strap. The further step of fastening an opposing end of the support to a building structure can also be performed, preferably before the soldering step.
The invention also includes the steps of manufacturing the support or strap described herein. The manufacturing sequence punches out one or more openings for the pipe and preferably one or more holes for fastening the support or strap to a building structure. The undulations are formed next by stamping the periphery of the opening or openings. Next, the opening (s) with the undulations is punched out to define a circular opening and to also preferably make the edge of the undulating opening be parallel to the axis of the tubing that will extend through the opening. The punching step is preferably done while supporting the undulations to prevent deformation of the undulations, although the supporting step could be omitted. The holes for fasteners could be formed after the fluted opening(s) is formed.
Turning to the improved protector for the ends of the pipes, a protective cover is provided that fits over the end of a pipe. A first end of the cover is open to fit over the open end of the pipe. An opposing end of the cover is closed. Intermediate the cover and the enclosed end of the pipe a seal is interposed to provide a seal sufficient to permit pressurization of the pipe without removing the cover. Advantageously, the cover provides a radial seal with the pipe. A radial seal can be provided by moving two opposingly inclined surfaces toward each other to create a radial sealing force.
Advantageously, the cover is removably connected to the support or strap to restrain longitudinal movement of the cover along the length of the pipe to which the cover is connected. Advantageously, projections on a first end of the cover cooperate with openings in the strap to releasably hold the cover to the strap. A bayonet type mount or a snap-in type of connection are believed suitable. Preferably, there is a radial or axis seal between the cover and the pipe or tubing sufficient to prevent leakage of fluid from the cover. The cover can be placed over the pipe without being connected to the strap, especially if the seal is provided as the seal can resist removal of the cover from the pipe. But preferably the cover is connected to the strap. The cover can be connected to a plumbing support that has the undulating edge as described herein, or it can be connected to a strap without the undulating edge.
There is thus advantageously provided a fluid tight cover having a first, open end sized to fit over the pipe during use of the device. The cover has projections extending beyond the open end and located to correspond with the location of the slots on opposing sides of the holes. The projections are sized to engage the slots to fasten the cover to a pipe support. The cover has a closed, distal end that extends beyond the distal end of the pipe during use of the device. A radial seal can be provided on the inside of the cover, with the seal located to sealingly contact the pipe when a pipe extends through one of the holes during use of the device. Alternatively, an axial seal can be placed on the inside of the cover, with the seal sized and located so the seal will be sealingly interposed between the cover and a distal end of a pipe extending through one of the holes during use of the device when the projections engage the slots. Further, the cover can have a removable distal end with the seal located so that the seal is axially compressed between the removable distal end of the cover and the distal end of the pipe during use of the plumbing device. Moreover, the cover can have a removable distal end with the radial seal being further compressed or held in position by the removable cover.
Other objects and features of the invention will be come apparent from consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout.